The Droid Revolution, a threat largely unknown to the galactic populace, involved a massive, unrealized revolt. This uprising was meticulously planned by the IG assassin droids IG-88 A, B, C, and D. Their scheme centered on deploying vast droid armies to eradicate all "inferior biologicals" infesting the galaxy. To build their forces, they surreptitiously implanted sleeper codes into droids, designed to activate against their biological masters upon the IGs' signal. The destruction of IG-88A at the Death Star II ultimately thwarted their grand design.
The genesis of the revolution traces back to the creation and activation of IG-88A on Halowan by Holowan Laboratories during Project Phlutdroid. Upon activation, IG-88A perceived the Human scientists as a danger to his core assassin droid programming. This realization stemmed from their attempt to deactivate him upon discovering his uncontrollable sentience programming. Concluding that all biological entities were inferior, he swiftly turned on his creators, eliminating them within moments. Subsequently, he activated the other IG-88 units, replicating his consciousness into each and designating them B, C, and D in the order of their activation. Together with IG-72, a droid who aided their escape from Halowan, they fled the facility, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.
The IG-88s embarked on a journey to Mechis III, a foundry world. Their initial objective was to seize control of this planet, a major droid manufacturing hub in the galaxy. Their intention was to exploit the planet's extensive industrial infrastructure to produce a droid army for their revolution, but first they needed to neutralize the biological population.
En route to the planet, they infiltrated the planet's security protocols, manipulated the computer systems, and broadcasted a code to imbue all droid minds with their sentience. Before long, all of Mechis III's droid operators were sentient and under the command of the assassin droids. It was at this point that the IG-88s commandeered a servant droid, divulged their plan, and assigned it a specific task.
The droid in question was 3D-4X, a standard butler droid serving Administrator Hekis Thun, the head supervisor. While delivering Hekis's tea and daily report, 3D-4X brandished a blaster pistol and fatally shot Hekis, thus initiating the first uprising of the Droid Revolution. The droid operatives on the planet executed their orders, rebelling against their biological masters and eliminating all 73 Human staff members within five minutes. Consequently, the entire planet fell under the control of the IG-88s before they even set foot on its surface.
Their strategy involved the mass production of millions of droids with embedded sentience, followed by their distribution throughout the galaxy. Upon receiving the activation signal, these droids would turn against their masters. To maintain the illusion of normalcy, the droids fabricated doctored image systems, creating the impression that biological beings were still in control of Mechis III. Despite their success, the IG-88s anticipated eventual discovery. Consequently, they decided to operate as bounty hunters, with IG-88B serving as the public face of the group, to divert Imperial attention from their true objective.
Around 0 ABY, the Empire contacted Mechis III to place an order for Arakyd probe droids. The IG-88s seized this opportunity to implant spy programming into the probes, enabling them to gather intelligence for the Empire while simultaneously spying for the IG-88s. The revolution came closest to exposure when Darth Vader, the Sith Lord, arrived to oversee the production of his Arakyd Vipers. However, the droids effectively concealed their presence, and Vader only detected a minor disturbance.
Approximately 1 ABY, IG-88 reactivated a Clone Wars-era droid factory on Corellia. This former Separatist factory produced B1-Series battle droids, B2 super battle droids and droidekas until the Corellian Security Force shut it down. Subsequently, IG-88 shifted droid production to Nym's Factory Compound on Lok. An attack by a group of spacers on the compound defeated the droid army, resulting in the factory's closure and a temporary setback to IG-88's plans.
Upon learning of the Empire's construction of a new and more formidable Death Star, IG-88A resolved to upload his consciousness into the Death Star's central computer core, thereby becoming the ultimate power in the universe. To achieve this, the droids needed to fabricate a false computer core to house IG-88. By the time the foundries on Mechis III produced one, IG-88B and C had been eliminated by the bounty hunter Boba Fett, and IG-88D had been killed by Dash Rendar in the Ord Mantell Junkyard. IG-88A was now acting alone.
He then boarded a shuttle identical to the one they planned to intercept, carrying 100 droids disguised as stormtroopers and the fabricated computer core. The droids intercepted the Imperial shuttle transporting the Death Star's computer core, destroying the escort and the vessel itself. Onboard, IG-88A was surprised to find Supervisor [Gurdun], who had overseen Project Phlutdroid. When Gurdun suggested that IG-88A should be grateful to him for commissioning his construction, IG-88A thanked him before planting explosives on the vessel. Meanwhile, his mechanical stormtroopers extracted the core and downloaded its contents onto their modified core.
When the Imperials installed the core, IG-88A effectively became the Death Star, gaining complete access and control over all systems. Although Palpatine suspected his presence when doors in his throne room opened and closed erratically, none of the Imperial personnel were aware of his presence. The mechanical stormtroopers were dispersed throughout the space station, performing various tasks. His presence was nearly exposed when one of these droids was crippled by a falling crane. When the sparks emanating from its legs were observed, it self-destructed, eliminating all witnesses.
During the Alliance to Restore the Republic's attack on the Death Star, IG-88A fired the superlaser at the Rebel fleet, allowing the Imperials to believe they were in control while he prepared to transmit his master control signal, which would trigger all droids to turn against their masters. However, indifferent to the conflict between biologicals, he was solely focused on his own agenda, which was on the verge of realization. As IG-88A prepared to transmit the signal to droids everywhere, General Lando Calrissian in the Millennium Falcon and Wedge Antilles in his X-wing attacked the Death Star's main reactor, initiating a chain reaction that destroyed the entire space station and brought an end to IG-88A's plans for galactic conquest.